8540. And an omer is the tenth part of an ephah. That this signifies the amount of the good then, is evident from the signification of “an omer is the tenth part of an ephah,” as being as much as is sufficient, for by “ten” is signified what is full (see n. 3107), and therefore by “a tenth part” is signified as much as is sufficient (n. 8468) and from the signification of “an ephah,” as being good. That “an ephah” denotes good is because by it and by an omer were measured dry things that served for food, such as wheat, barley, fine flour; and by things that are used for food are signified goods: and by “a bath” and by “a hin” were measured liquids, which served for drink; consequently by these measures were signified truths. The containant receives this signification from the contents.

[2] That the ephah was a measure is plain from the following passages:

An ephah of justice, and a hin of justice, shall ye have (Leviticus 19:36).

The ephah and the bath shall be one measure, because the ephah is the tenth of a homer (Ezekiel 45:11).

Ye shall have balances of justice, and an ephah of justice, and a bath of justice (verse 10).

It is in like manner a measure in Amos 8:5.

[3] That “an ephah” denotes good is plain from the passages where the “meat-offering” is treated of, for which meal or fine flour was measured by an ephah (Leviticus 5:11; Numbers 5:15; 28:5; Ezekiel 45:24; 46:7, 11). The “meat-offering” signifies good. And also from this passage in Zechariah:

The angel speaking in me said unto me, Lift up I pray thine eyes, What is this that goeth forth? and I said, What is it? He said, This is the ephah that goeth forth; he said moreover, This is their eye in all the earth. And behold there was lifted up a talent of lead, and at the same time this woman sitting in the midst of the ephah. Then he said, She is evil, and he cast her into the midst of the ephah, and he cast a stone of lead upon the mouth thereof. And I lifted up mine eyes, and saw, when behold there came forth two women, and the wind was in their wings; they had two wings like the wings of a stork; and they lifted up the ephah between the earth and the heaven; and I said unto the angel that spake in me, Whither do these carry off the ephah? who said unto me, To build her a house in the land of Shinar; and it shall be prepared, and she shall abide there upon her seat (5:5-11).

[4] What these things signify it is impossible for anyone to know except from the internal sense, and unless he thereby knows what is meant by “the ephah,” what by “the woman in the midst of it,” what by “the stone of lead upon the mouth of the ephah,” also what is meant by “Shinar.” When each detail is unfolded, it is clear that the profanation which was at that time in the church is signified; for by “the ephah” is signified good; by “the woman,” evil, as is there openly stated; by “the stone of lead,” falsity of evil shutting up, for “a stone” denotes external truth, and consequently in the opposite sense falsity (n. 643, 1298, 3720, 6426), and “lead” denotes evil (n. 8298). Thus by “the woman in the midst of the ephah, upon the mouth of which was a stone of lead,” is signified evil shut up in good by falsity, which is the same thing as profanation, for profanation is evil conjoined with good (n. 6348). “The two women lifting up the ephah between the earth and the heaven” denotes the churches (n. 252, 253) by which what was profane was rejected; “Shinar, whither the woman in the ephah was carried off” denotes external worship, within which is what is profane (n. 1183, 1292).

8468. An omer a head. That this signifies enough for everyone, is evident from the signification of “an omer,” as being sufficient (of which presently); and from the signification of “for a head,” as being for each one. That “an omer” denotes sufficient, is because it was the tenth part of an ephah, as is plain from the last verse of this chapter, and “ten” signifies what is full (see n. 3107); consequently “a tenth part” signifies what is sufficient, here for each one, that is, for a head. The “omer” is mentioned only in this chapter; but in other places, the “homer,” which was a measure containing ten ephahs, and consequently signified what is full; as in Hosea:

I purchased a woman, an adulteress, for fifteen pieces of silver, and a homer of barley, and a half homer of barley (3:1-2); where by “a woman an adulteress” is meant the house of Israel, in the spiritual sense the church there, the buying of which at a full price is signified by “fifteen pieces of silver and a homer of barley;” “fifteen pieces of silver” are predicated of truth, and “a homer of barley,” of good.

[2] In Ezekiel:

Ye shall have balances of justice, and an ephah of justice, and a bath of justice: the ephah and the bath shall be of one measure, to lift the tenth of a homer to a bath, and to the tenth of a homer the ephah; according to the homer shall be thy measure: this is the heave-offering that ye shall heave, the of an ephah from a homer of wheat, from a homer of barley: and the set portion of oil, the bath for oil, shall be the tenth of a bath out of the cor, ten baths a homer, for ten baths are a homer (45:10-11, 13-14).

The new earth and the new temple are here treated of, by which is signified the Lord’s spiritual kingdom. Everyone can see that there will not be a homer there, nor an ephah, nor a bath, nor a cor, neither will there be wheat, barley, or oil. Thus it is evident that by these things are signified such things as are in that kingdom, which plainly are spiritual things, thus things which have relation either to the good of charity or to the truth of faith. A “homer” is predicated of good, because it is the measure of wheat and of barley; in like manner an “ephah.” But a “bath” is predicated of truth, because it is a measure of wine; and as it is also a measure of oil, by which is signified the good of love, it is said that a bath shall be the same part of a homer as is an ephah, which denotes in the spiritual sense that all things in that kingdom shall have relation to good, and also that the truth there will be good, and that this shall be given in fullness, because by “a homer” is signified what is full.

[3] In Isaiah:

Many houses shall be in devastation, even great and beautiful, that there be no inhabitant, for ten acres of vineyard shall yield one bath, and a homer of seed shall yield an ephah (5:9-10);

here “ten acres” denotes what is full, and also much, in like manner “a homer,” but “a bath” and “an ephah” denote few; for when “ten” denotes much, “a tenth part” denotes a few.

In Moses:

If a man shall sanctify unto Jehovah of the field of his possession, then thy estimation shall be according to his sowing, the sowing of a homer of barley for fifty shekels of silver (Leviticus 27:16); where “the sowing of a homer,” and also “fifty shekels,” denote fullness of estimation. As “a homer” signifies what is full, “ten homers” signify what is too much and superfluous (Numbers 11:32).